It may seem strange to say this with no senior international tournament but, this summer promises to be one of the most exciting of recent times. Let me explain.
This week has seen the start of the European Under-21 Championships. At a time when the England team is going through something of a transformative stage and with growing calls for young blood to be given its chance, the importance of this tournament has never been greater. England has been in desperate need of players with proven tournament experience and this summer will afford that to some of our brightest hopes. More of that later.
Alongside that we have Manchester City, with their billions, at last in the Champions League and hoping to secure some of the world’s best players as they look to close again the gap on their more illustrious neighbours.
QPR, themselves not short of cash, will be looking to impose themselves on their return to the top flight with some notable signings. Norwich and Swansea will be determined not to be forgotten. And in the middle of it all we have the increasingly cramped middle ground, with Everton, Villa, Newcastle and Sunderland amongst the teams that will be looking to push on and improve their squads. The ingredients are certainly all there.
For what it is worth, my eyes will firmly be on the young guns of Europe. As an Englishman I know that we have a long way to go to be anywhere near the level of the Spanish and Sunday’s game proved that despite the result. But there are glimmers, or possibly more, of hope. Players like Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck, Danny Rose and Chris Smalling are already at some of the biggest clubs in Europe. They all have the chance to go on and make real names for themselves this summer and also to reignite some passion in the international game. Alongside that, a strong showing by England this summer will benefit the Premier League as fans get excited about the young talent on show week in week out.
The long term benefit to the EPL will also become apparent. With quotas increasing for home grown players coming in over the next few seasons and the onset of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules, English talent will have to take more of a centre stage. And, quite frankly, if the quality of the league is to remain as high as it is now then this crop of English youngsters are going to have to be better than the last. Exciting times indeed.
What will you be focusing on this summer? Which transfer stories do you think will catch the eye, which players will make a name for themselves in the Under-21’s? Any comments are as always, much appreciated.